A Patriotic Traitor
by Fire Princess Joy
Summary: Yuki is an average Fire Nation citizen, until she learns the atrocities of war. While in Zhao's forces, she must decided whether war is worth the cost. Rated T for slightly morbid scenes. All feedback is welcome. This has seven chapters at the moment, please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar. Also, this is a collaborative work done with an individual who goes by the name of Marry Kozakura or Cherry, and an individual who prefers not to be named here. We have decided to publish this under my account.

A Patriotic Traitor

Jang hui was always a small town, and business was rather slow. Naturally, they capitulated when soldiers appeared to take advantage of their city. Unfortunately, both the factory and the war were taking a toll on the isolated area. When Yuki was discovered to be a firebender, the city was in awe.

Yuki was already quite a popular kid around the town. Her father worked with the great Commander Zhao and was currently a commander himself. Expectations were high for Yuki to be an amazing firebender. She had heard stories of the child prodigy Azula and vowed to be as good as her.

Her mother, however, was concerned. After her years of watching the war, she knew what happened to talented individuals. She allowed Yuki to blossom, but only out of sight from the factory workers. Hopefully, her daughter would have many years before she would have to serve their country.

Yuki's father wouldn't be back for another few days, so decided to improve her firebending by seeing a master. Sadly, the only master who taught firebending had only come for a short stay, and had left the village a long time ago. She heard rumors of "The Deserter" and how he left the army, but could not remember his name.

She decided to practice with her best friend, Ming. Yuki knew Ming most of her childhood and the two were close. Ming always wanted to be part of the army, but sadly she came from a bloodline of prison guards.

"I'm so happy for you!" Ming exclaimed, "Your father's going to be so proud." Although Ming couldn't bend, she was quite agile and could dodge Yuki's fire blasts easily.

As Yuki grew up, conditions became rather atrocious in her beloved village. She wanted to be rid of the factory, but she had promised her mother she would take no aggressive actions. When the new troops arrived, she decided she no longer cared. The moment she saw captain Zhao, she knew her world would change.

He was bullying a young boy, who was attempting to stop him from stealing goods.

"Stop it! " yelled Yuki.

Zhao turned to the girl and laughed. "Mind your own business, girl." He snickered. He lit his hand with a dark red flame. "I don't like to hurt children."

Yuki suddenly felt a rage burst and shot a blast at Zhao. Zhao, while surprised, was able to dodge the blast.

Yuki's father suddenly ran up. "YUKI, WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU DOING?!" He yelled. He turned to Zhao. "Commander, I am terribly sorry for this. She will be punished."

"No need. Where did she learn to firebend like that? She has to be self-taught. Perhaps she should consider the army. " Zhao responded.

"She's still so very young," replied Yuki's father. "Perhaps the domestic forces when she's a bit older. "

"She's eighteen, isn't she? And I wouldn't recommend her for the domestic forces. Her talent would be much better served in a specialized unit, as mine is" Zhao suggested.

Yuki was too shocked in awe to make sort of comment. This _was_ her dream, right? To be recognized by a higher up person in the army? This is what she wanted all her life. So why... Did she feel like she should say no. "We'll think about it." Her father remarked.

"I will await your decision eagerly."

The two men bowed and Zhao left.

Of course Yuki would want to go. Her parents had always known this day would come. Their daughter was talented, yet Zhao seemed too eager almost. Perhaps he had ulterior motives. It would be much safer to send her to another branch, but how could they refuse? They would have to accept, or they would jeopardize the whole village. The others did not deserve that. There was only one answer to the question.

Yuki didn't even have any say in the matter. Her father sent a messenger hawk to Zhao conforming the offer and she had to start tomorrow. She packed her things and looked at the village.

There was a knock on her door. "Ming!" Yuki exclaimed. The 2 hugged. A tear ran down Mings face. "I'm so happy for you. I'm stuck as a prison guard but you have a future to look forward to. Make me proud. I'll miss you."

"Make our town a better place. I'll meet you here, in the same spot in exactly three years. Don't fail me." As Yuki said her last words to Ming, the shadow of the ship loomed over them. It was time for the young firebender to say farewell to her entire world and approach the new.

The boat ride was quite short, as the Fire Nation was a tiny nation. She arrived in the city and gazed in awe at the massive palace. Just think, the Fire Lord! So close! Along with his two children! She felt like it was her birthday and this was her present.

Zhao noticed her awestruck glance and smirked inwardly. If she was so easily pleased, this was going to be easier than he realized. Once he showed her what he could do, she would be captivated. Yet it bothered him that she seemed more powerful than he would ever be.

The young woman admired the city, yet she saw the hidden meaning. Everything had to be the best, or it was nothing. She was no exception to this rule. From this moment, Yuki would strive to achieve. All this was not just for her country, for it would be fine without her. This was for her.

Yuki was taken to her new home, paid for by the military. While it wasn't close to the palace or expensive, it was quite a nice place, and she was content with it. Besides, it was way nicer than the small barn of a home she used to live in.

"Enjoy your new home," Zhao said. "I will return later in the day with your first mission. Rest up for now." Zhao felt generous that day, and wanted to please Yuki, so he gave her 20 gold pieces. "Go into town and buy whatever you like. There's a lot to see." Yuki thanked Zhao and he left.

Yuki was beside herself with joy. She could finally buy a messenger hawk! She had always wanted one for herself, but her father said the one he had was enough. She took the gold pieces and bought a messenger hawk for herself. Seventeen gold pieces left.

While she wanted to indulge herself, she somehow felt there would be a cost beyond this. Perhaps the Painted Lady had blessed her and her life would be good. Yet, it disturbed her to even think of a possible mission. She had never fought anyone but Ming. If she told Zhao, he would surely send her back. At the thought of being sent back to her small village, she became inwardly downcast. Although she missed Jang Hui, the outside world was rich with waiting opportunities. She could finally join her nation in its quest for world peace. On the other hand, Yuki was now alone in a warzone. Since Fire Lord Sozin had started the war, the entire country had been tense. Supplies were constantly being taken from smaller towns for use by the army. Although this was all for the greater good, the Fire Nation was not currently a kind place.

This hawk would be her anchor in the harsh world. Yuki would have to move on from her past and embrace her future. Yet, she could not but wish that she had her mother to comfort her, her father to support her, and Ming to talk to her. No, it would not do to think like this. It was time to focus on her upcoming mission.


	2. Chapter 2

Warning: This chapter is one of the main reasons that this fanfiction was rated T.

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar, which includes Zhao. Again, this is a collaborative work. Enjoy and reviews are welcome!

Chapter 2

Yuki didn't have much time left. Zhao was supposed to be back at her new home soon. She drank a quick cup of tea and rushed back home with her new pet. She had the urge to find a name for it, but now wasn't the time for that. Yuki returns to find Zhao just arriving. "Ah, there you are," he said.

There was a happy tone to his voice that Yuki didn't quite get. Not her place to question the higher authorities. "I see you have found a pet." He remarked. Yuki looked back at her hawk, forgetting she even bought it. What was wrong with her? She felt nervous.

"Yes sir." She whispered.

"You're young, but I think you can handle this mission. There's this guard in the vicinity, and we think he's a spy. Your mission is to tail him for a day and report back. Be warned, he's talented in hand to hand combat. Make sure he does not know for whom you work. You are dismissed. Oh and he has short black hair and he's about my height," declared Zhao.

It wasn't until after Zhao left that she realized he didn't tell her where this guy was. Great. She had to search for him now. Zhao only gave her a rough sketch of what he looked like. This wasn't going to be easy.

Even though Yuki was very capable of firebending at this point, she brought her sword with her. No such thing as too much caution, after all. The guard was about the same rank as her so she assumed he would live around where she was. She put on a robe to disguise herself and stepped outside.

Yuki searched for the man for about half an hour and didn't find him. This was bad. Yuki HAD to return to Zhao with a successful mission. She needed a plan. Suddenly, a thought came into her mind: where would a fire nation guard go when he's by himself? Yuki ran to the tea shop...

Unfortunately, since General Iroh was quite fond of tea, there were many such shops. She chose one at random and began her search. The man in question would mostly be wearing his uniform to show who he was. At a glance, she saw a table with three guards, all wearing the same uniform. Two of them fit Zhao's description. In order to fit in, she ordered Jasmine tea for herself and sat at a table near them to wait. The only logical course of action was to wait them out and see where they went. As she drank, she pondered. The man's name was Li, which could be either Earth Kingdom or Fire Nation.

Since he was supposed to be a spy, she assumed it was Earth Kingdom. Hopefully, if she listened carefully, she would hear them address him. She decided to test her acting skills from watching the Ember Island Players imitations in her hometown and "accidentally" dropped her gold. As she was picking the pieces up, she kept one eye on the guards. "I'll report back later," the suspect whispered. He was handed a small bag of what Yuki assumed was gold, and tucked it

into his shirt. This was enough info for Yuki. "You're a double spy!" Yuki cried. The suspect quickly turned in surprise. He quickly ran out of the tea shop before Yuki could firebend at him.

Yuki called out for support as she ran after the suspect. He was quite fast, but Yuki was younger and was slowly gaining on him. Everything seemed to fly right past her the more she ran, but she found the energy to keep going. The suspect eventually ran into a dead end.

"You are under arrest in the name of the Fire Lord, Li. Surrender now or you will be taken by force" called Yuki. Even to her, her threat sounded empty. She would need to work on that, but she was so close to accomplishing the mission. Fortunately, he warily glanced at her swords and slowly dropped his weapons.

"I surrender," he said. Clearly the Earth Kingdom had no concept of honor. She used some rope to tie his hands together and escorted him to Zhao's quarters.

"I have apprehended the criminal," announced Yuki proudly.

"Oh," began Zhao " that's not what we do to spies. They're a special case. " Zhao stepped outside. "Yuki, bring some firewood". After a decent pile was built, the Captain tied the prisoner to it and pinned him beneath some logs before lighting it. Within minutes, Yuki heard the screams and smelled burning flesh. Immediately, she averted her eyes. That was her first time witnessing death, and she hated it.

He gives Yuki 50 gold pieces. "Keep this up and we'll promote you to captain of the guard with a new home. I'll send a hawk when we need you again. Goodnight." Zhao bowed, and walked back to the burning body. Yuki quickly went back home. She couldn't stand the smell.

Later that night she took her messenger hawk and wrote a letter to Ming. "Hope everything's okay. I'm starting to question if this was meant to be my path. I feel like what I'm doing is wrong. But this is my dream, right? I don't know. It was a crazy day. You know what to do most of the time. I miss you."

She packed the message into the hawk and watched it fly away. Yuki flopped on her bed and thought about what she did. She... CAUSED a death. Is this what her father does? How does he live with it? Yuki didn't want to think about it. She went to bed, but not forgetting the day.

In the morning, Yuki could still smell the burning flesh. She had to be imagining it. Was she feeling guilty? He was a threat to her country. Hopefully she would never experience this again. Yet, how would she avoid it? She was in the army now, and would have to accept her role sooner or later.

Yuki flinched as Zhao approaches her. She didn't want to be near him, after what she had seen him do. "Yuki," he said "you know that this war has been going for a very long time. People have been worrying too much about the Earth Kingdom. I have a plan to deal with the water tribes. I want to place an agent in the Northern Water Tribe for surveillance purposes. Are you willing?"

"Sir, my apologies, but I can't leave the fire nation. And I would not pass as a Water Tribe native. My eyes would betray me, if nothing else. Would I not be better fighting here?" pleaded Yuki.

"Hmm. You have a point. It was a stupid idea, I suppose. Instead, I have another idea. I should not use you as a mere messenger, but I have some papers that you need to take to general who currently resides in the colonies. He needs to know the plan for the North. It cannot be seen by anyone else. Go with care" decided Zhao.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own Avatar. Again, this is a collaborative work with two other writers.

Chapter 3

Yuki decided that the best approach would be to go in the night so no one would see her. Yuki grabbed her sword and a robe and hood to hide her identity, then set out on her misson.

As she approach the colonies she realized she would attract a lot of attention if she just waltzed through the colonies, looking for him. She decided to sneak in...

"You there! What are you doing?" A guard asked. Where did he come from?! She had thought she was being vigilant, so she had not prepared any excuses. Yuki was never a good liar, so there was only one course of action... She firebent at the guards feet and knocked him out while he was distracted.

What had she just done? She took out a man from her own nation... No time to think. She took the guards clothes and put them on.

Her only course of action was to continue her original plan. Yuki slowly snuck into the guard house, and searched for their records. As she browsed, she looked at each general and soon found the one Zhao had spoken of. Now, it was only a matter of finding him. Thankfully, the records said he was in a neighboring town and would remain there for a month.

Yuki sighed, and adjusted the worn sleeves on the uniform that was slightly too baggy on her. Her sword glinted in the faint light as she hid the papers in her uniform as best as she could.

At least this job would not involve any more killing. Perhaps Zhao had realized how much respect she held for all human life. Yet she still shuddered at the memory of burning flesh, and she would be forever scarred.

She realized the more she dozed off the less time she had. Time to think. Zhao wanted this message... Tonight. She had to go _now_. She knew where the General was, so that was a—

"THERE SHE IS!" The guards shouted as they stormed the room. All the other guards in there already realized she was a trespasser and charged strait at her. Out of pure panic, she firebent a protective circle around her so the guards couldn't reach her.

This gave her some time to think of a plan. Okay, ten—no, fifteen—_twenty_ guards all focused on her. Surrounded. Only weapons are her bending and sword. She had to use the environment. She looked around. "STAY BACK!" She shouted to the guards. Time was running out, she couldn't just stand in the circle forever.

Options, options. She could dissipate the flames and run. Or she could—wait. It should logically be possible to propel oneself using bending, and if Yuki could manage that... She had to try. There was no other way. In one fluid motion, Yuki dissolved the flames and summoned fire to her hands.

In order to give herself a push, she crouched and jumped before using her firebending. As soon as she was in the air, she realized steering would be difficult. Then, she saw what to do. The stress of the situation must have pushed her to optimal alertness, because she saw everything.

She propelled herself to a rope that was strung across to an opposite building and yanked it down. The momentum from the swing allowed her to jump off and get a head start from the guards, who were still attempting to pursue her.

She wondered if she could propel herself _forward_ with the fire, maybe it could give her the speed boost needed to escape the guards. Before she had a chance, she was grabbed by a guard hiding in the shadows, and he attempted to yank her helmet off.

Yuki struggled to fight him off and saw the guards were gaining. Fast. She had no choice. She mustered up all of her strength and created a massive wall of fire separating her from the guards. The flames scorched her face from being too close.

This gave her the opportunity she needed. She propelled herself yet again, causing the guard to lose his grip of Yuki. She got away, but she then realized by this point every guard in the area has been alerted by her presence.

Yuki ran as fast as possible from them, her heart pounding in her chest as she clutched the notes tightly to her chest.

Yuki glanced over her shoulder for the briefest of seconds as she ran. The guards' yells and the faint golden glow of their flames told her that they were still in her pursuit. Knowing this, she ran faster, energy flowing through her veins as her feet lightly skimmed the earth.

'I have to hurry..'

She turned a second too late. She slammed into a wall. Dead end. She looked around. No way out. She was done for. The guards surrounded her.

She wanted to take her sword out or firebend but what was the point? She was done for. She put her hands up to surrender.

Author's note: Cliffhangers are wonderful, aren't they? I'm probably going to wait for a bit more feedback before releasing the next chapter. I just wanted to get a chance to actually get the story going. The plot will be more defined within the next chapter or two. Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I still don't own avatar and two other writers were a major part in writing this.

Author's note: Please read and review. There are many more plot details in this chapter.

Chapter 4

One of the guards shouted behind them. Everyone turned. A massive boulder was charging straight toward the guards. It smacked into almost all of them, shoving them against the wall, knocking them out.

Yuki couldn't believe what she saw... That was _earthbending,_ right? In a fire nation colony?

She focused on where that came from. She saw a man dressed as a guard, like her. But he had piercing green eyes. The remaining guards all charged at him as if they could stop him. The man lifted the earth below a few guards, sending them flying, grabbing some of them by the collar and tossing them into others, and he kicked a rock into a guards gut, knocking him down. Once they were all defeated, he walked over to Yuki, who was too shocked to say anything. The man created a hole in the ground and reached out for Yuki's hand.

'O...kay then,' Yuki thought as she gripped his hand tightly, but not too tightly. His hand was warm, yet calloused, most likely from fighting.

"I'm going to need some light." The earthbender said. His voice was deep and gravelly, as if he was screaming at someone before and couldn't afford to lose his temper. Yuki created a flame in her hand big enough to illuminate the cave. "What's your name?" He asked. Yuki saw his face in the faint light: dark skinned, with those piercing green eyes. He was still wearing a fire nation outfit, but she could see a green earth kingdom robe under his armor. His hands were covered in bandages as though he spent too much time punching rocks. He had a slight limp on his left leg along with that. The injury had most likely been acquired from fighting. Maybe—

"I asked you a question," He reminded her, pulling her out of her daze."I save your life and I get nothing. Yeah, normal day." Yuki tripped on her words. "Y-Yuki." She said. "What's yours?" "Hey," the earthbender said. "You get to know after you save _my_ life. Ok?"

"I might not get that opportunity," Yuki muttered. So he clearly knew she was a firebender, yet did not seem to care. There was a war going on, or didn't he know?

The earthbender's face was like stone, a mask. "Well, that's a shame." He sighed. "I'd have thought there was more in you, Yuki." The green eyes glinted with something, perhaps with interest? Or was it something else?

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yuki questioned, her golden eyes narrowed in the light of the flickering flame in the palm of her hand. The man chuckled slightly. "Judging by the way you were running, I'd have thought you were braver, maybe even smarter than that."

"So tell me, Yuki, what's an intelligent girl like you doing on the wrong side of this war? And before you ask, yes I know you're fighting for the fire nation" the man inquired.

"Actually..." Yuki started to say.

The earthbender held his hand back. "Stop. Keep quiet. They're right above us." She head footsteps over their heads. They must be outside. "Keep quiet. We're almost out."

Yuki wanted to ask so many questions. Like "what are you doing here? Why did you save me? How did you get in? Why were you here at all?" But now was not the time. Yuki saw a light at the end of the cave. They were getting close. "There could be hundreds of guards out there,'" the earthbender said."

"Stay behind. I'll be right back." He created another hole in the ground and jumped into it. Show-off.

Yuki stood in the darkness for several minutes, though it seemed like ages had passed by the time the mysterious earthbender reappeared. Even in the pitch black darkness, his green eyes glowed like gemstones. "Coast clear." He said. Yuki could hear him breathing deeply. He began to walk as she followed.

As she walked, millions of thoughts flooded her mind. Why was this man helping her? Who was he? How did he know which side she was on? Was he right about her loyalties? Was she really on the wrong side of the war? Up until now, she had never considered the morality of the war as a whole.

The man glanced over his shoulder at Yuki, watching her out of the corner of his emerald-green eyes as he formed a tunnel.

Yuki shivered. It was as though he knew exactly what she was thinking, and the answers to her perplexing questions of morality. How dare he accuse her of being on the wrong side of the war. Clearly the fire nation was superior and ought to spread the prosperity. Or was it?

Yuki actually pondered what the man said. He had a point: Fire Lord Ozai was conquering almost every earth kingdom village and city for his own selfish reasons. Had... Yuki been fighting for the wrong country? Which side was she on?

Perhaps she should... Switch sides? And where would that get her? She had to stop this mutinous thinking. Soldiers should not think for themselves. She was a bit higher up than most, but still not entitled to her own opinion. The fire lord was always right. He had to be or what was her purpose?

The man continued to earthbend a tunnel through the ground. Yuki watched as he did so in utter silence, her amber eyes flickering with conflicted emotions in the faint light.

The man seemed not to notice her internal struggle, although the flames flickered with her emotions. As soon as she saw light at the other end, Yuki extinguished her flames and glanced at the man.

Your people did this." The earthbender said. "This is what the Fire Nation has been doing for a hundred years. _Something_ needs to change."

"NO! The fire nation does everything in the name of spreading an era of peace. If my nation truly did this, then these people... Must have deserved this" As Yuki spoke, her voice faltered and faded away.

"Really, Yuki? Do you truly believe that?" And with that the man walked away , leaving Yuki to wallow in her guilt and horror.

Yuki watched as the man began to walk away, his back to her. 'I don't know what to believe anymore..' she thought as he continued to walk, his bare feet stepping on ashes and piles of soot. His shoulders were shaking slightly as he trudged along, as though he were trying to conceal the boiling emotions within him. Yuki was reminded of a single, flickering flame, a glowing ember resisting the urge to give in and burn out. It would never succumb to the darkness and cold of the area surrounding it. It would burn for as long and bright as it could until it was finally blown out, extinguished by all means.

Yuki realized that she still had to report back to Zhao. Great. What was she supposed to do now? How could she explain herself... She watched the man walk away... "WAIT!" She shouted.

Then she quickly silenced herself. She didn't deserve the advice of someone like that. A hopeless case, that's what she was. Yet, she could not help but think she was trapped in a destiny she could not control. She was like a struggling spider fly in amber; she had yet to admit her defeat.

The man turned, his bare feet crushing the mound of ash underneath him. "Yes?" He looked at her with piercing green eyes. It was almost like he were analyzing every fiber of her being, searching her soul for an answer. Yuki swallowed hard. Why couldn't she say anything? Her throat was parched, drier than the Si Wong Desert itself. He looked at her expectantly, his head tilted in slight interest. "What?" Just then, Yuki abandoned all of her ideas. "Nothing," she said scratchily, her palms sweating. Yuki raised her voice slightly. "Nothing at all." She stared at the ground, the smoke stinging her eyes.

Another Author's note: To answer the questions presented in reviews, some of the guards were firebenders, but many were not. Also the guards had many organization problems since they were not prepared for this. And she panicked when she first met a guard. She probably wouldn't have been taken well after she had already attacked someone. Sorry if those aren't sufficient answers. Please review!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I still don't own Avatar. This is still a collaborative work That's about it. Enjoy!

Chapter 5

Yuki had never felt more alone in her life. Maybe she could go back home, but that would endanger people there. She had seen what happened to spies; she could not bear to imagine what would happen to traitors… Was she a traitor? Of course she was. These mutinous thoughts were treachery. People would view her as a lowly traitor. Speaking out had done Prince Zuko no good. She would be no different.

'No different.. No different from those in the Earth Kingdom... Or the Water Tribes...' Yuki thought, nudging a pile of ash with her boot. 'I would be an enemy, another target for them to fire at and burn.. Burn..' Yuki recalled how they burned the traitor. The reddish-gold flames devouring him, consuming him like some demonic creature as he screamed out helplessly, the flames scorching his skin until he was merely a smoking, grey, mound of bones and ash. She shook her head. Yuki would not let that happen to herself. She would not be swallowed, snuffed out that easily. Her flickering flame of light still burned deep inside of her, growing stronger by the minute.

Fire was nothing, yet everything. No life, it consumed all and left ashes in its wake. It was a tool, nothing more. Why was she cursed with such a power? Spirits knew she had done nothing to deserve this. "Agni, Spirits, if you do exist, hear me take this vow. I swear never to take a life, or cause one to be taken again. I will swear on my own life if need be," Yuki called, staring with watery eyes at the sky above.

Finally, she felt as though she had done something. Perhaps she could move on from this and begin her life anew. Only her firebending would serve as a constant reminder of the smell of burning flesh, the charred remains of a promising village, the crushed dreams, the innocent souls who would never see the light of day again.

Yuki glanced around at her surroundings, absorbing everything: the scent of burning wood.. The gray smoke that twisted into the nighttime sky like a snake, coiling around her.. It was almost as though it were slithering around her, holding her in a death grip... 'Choose..' It hissed, its golden eyes piercing her very soul, examining every fiber of her being. Yuki squeezed her eyes shut tightly. 'This isn't real. It isn't real..' She managed to turn sharply on her feet, her boots sifting through the layers grey ash at her feet. With that, Yuki sprinted out of the clearing, the charred remnants of the village smoking behind her. It had never felt so good to run. Cool air, blowing back her hair, clearing her lungs of the ash, and making her feet light gave Yuki the feeling of flight. She was like a bird. If only she could disappear into the depths of the world, or better yet, run like this forever. Not only was she leaving the smell of burned hopes, but she was also shedding her skin, leaving her past behind. She would no longer be a timid, obedient girl. There were lives that needed saving, and she had to play a part.

A part to be played... Yes. Yuki knew that once she got to camp, there would be no going back, no escape from the fiery dragons that circled her like hungry wolves, the scorching heat radiating off of them like molten lava. Yuki could feel everything becoming clearer, brighter. It was as though a veil of smoke had been lifted from her, allowing her to experience things in full, vivid color and see things for what they really were. Adrenaline pumped through her veins as she ran even faster, a light sheen of sweat coating her forehead. The cool, yet gentle breeze lifted her curtain of ebony-black black hair slightly as she continued to run, her feet lightly skimming the earth as though she were as light as air.

If only she could run like this forever. Alas, she had a responsibility to her nation and the world. Now she could see that what she was doing was nothing near treason. It was for the benefit of her nation, for what nation would benefit from an endless war? This was hurting everyone, as some things would. The world needed peace badly. Unfortunately, the avatar was nowhere to be found. Why could many people combined not make as much of a difference as one all-powerful being? She would be one of the first steps, and set in motion a tide of events. The ripple effect, in a sense.

That aside, the camp was drawing nearer with every step that she took. Her heart was beating wildly, so loudly that she was sure that everyone could hear it. The once soft, welcoming glow of the bonfires that surrounded the camp looked sinister and threatening, tongues of red and gold flaring brightly against the ebony sky. The shadows of the tents looked strangely ominous in the flickering light, and their voices seemed harsher to her ears. Despite all of this, Yuki was undaunted. She walked straight into camp, her head held high. Gone was the cowardly girl who simply was obedient. Yet, as she stood out of the grand tent in which she knew Zhao would reside, she hesitated. What was she thinking? She had no plan. She would not be able to save a single soul with this course of action. Maybe she would try to reason with Zhao, and at least stop their next attack, whenever that would be. Breathing deeply, she spoke to the guards outside of the tent. "I have information of importance for the Captain." After a brief glance at her, they stepped aside, leaving a pathway to her possible doom. This would be her undoing, most likely. What did it matter? Some things had to be done for the greater good.

After a bow, she began. "Captain. This isn't right, and you should know it. With all due respect to the great fire lord, this war is doing more harm than it is good. What is the point in burning everything we see, and salting the earth behind us? Forcing others to bend to our will or burning them to ashes? There can never be any benefit from war. I resign my position, for I cannot be a part of this."

Zhao's golden eyes flicker with something. Mild interest? Surprise? Whatever it was, it had vanished within moments. A smile unfurled across his face, and he rested a calloused hand on Yuki's shoulder. "I agree completely, Yuki," He leaned in by her ear, his uncomfortably warm breath prickling her skin. "Do not resign." His eyes looked sincere, but there was something in that smile that tugged at her, practically screaming, 'Liar!' "I shall arrange a new post for you, one in a notable prison. It should serve you well. I believe that it will be the perfect place for your talents. Have you ever heard of the Boiling Rock?"said Zhao. Yuki had of course heard of the infamous prison. Working there would not involve killing. Perhaps it would be nice. "I accept," she told Zhao.

Zhao nods. "We will station you there tomorrow, Yuki." She nodded, her dark hair glinting in the flickering fire light. "I will get ready, General." Yuki bowed her head slightly and began to exit the large tent, her golden eyes bright in the darkness. She walked across the grass, her boots leaving muddy-ish tracks behind her.

Had Zhao really acquiesced to her request? After all the burning spies, she could not believe he would agree with a perhaps mutinous thought process. Yuki had previously thought his beliefs were far too primitive to follow her ideology. Perhaps she was wrong. Or maybe this showed an entirely different nature of human beings. They could change, and learn from their mistakes.

Yuki exhaled once she stepped into the warmth of her tent. The faint firelight reflected off of her dark hair, which cascaded down her back like a waterfall once she had unpinned it. Placing the hairpin on a small table, she changed into her robes and fell sound asleep in her cot after only a few minutes, the darkness welcoming her into what seemed to be a deep, dreamless sleep. The peaceful environment was reminiscent of her home in Jang Hui. All of nature was in harmony, and she was simply a part of it. Everything had dissolved into its original simplicity. Tomorrow would be a new day. Yuki would no longer be a killer. This way, she could truly help her nation. Yuki awoke the next day early. She wanted to bury herself in blankets and sleep forever, but even she knew that wasn't possible. Things would change today.

Finally, she would be free from this dreadful burden. Her kill count would not disappear, but she could learn to cope with it. How grateful she was that Zhao had seen the true nature of war. This could set in motion a tide of events, and cause a crashing wave to end the war.

Author's Note: Hmm the Boiling Rock… I wonder where I've heard—oh wait. That was the name of a two part episode… Please review?


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I still don't own Avatar, and this is a collaborative work.

Chapter 6

The moment that Yuki got dressed and stepped outside, Zhao was waiting for her, his arms crossed over his chest. For a moment, Yuki thought she saw a flicker of malice in his golden eyes. Then it dissolved instantly, like snow-white sugar in drowning in coffee. "Ah, Yuki. We're leaving now." Zhao stated, half-smirking, half-smiling. He gestured to the ship that was anchored nearby.

Surprisingly, Zhao had not changed his mind from the previous night. A part of her had wondered whether he would be planning her execution overnight. Evidently, he was still allowing her to leave her current post. Perhaps people could truly change. After all, she had been one of those people. As she boarded the ship, she allowed her thoughts to wander back to the earthbender. He had been right the entire time. War was never worth the cost, and this war was no exception. The Fire Nation was murdering innocent civilians. This war had to end for the good of the world.

'If only the Avatar were here... Then it would be peaceful...' Yuki sighed, tucking a strand of her ebony-black hair behind her ear. 'Or would it...?' She shook her head to herself, clenching her fists at her sides. 'What is it with all of these questions?!' Her golden eyes pierced through the mist that covered the grey sea like a light blanket. 'And why can't I find the answers?!'

With that, she embarked on her journey to her new home. Hopefully, this would also be her new life. Hmm Ming had gone into a similar profession. There was a small chance that she would be at the Boiling Rock, but it was more likely that she was working in the capital. At least she would not constantly be drowning in her doubts at the prison. There would be much busy work for her to do at such a high security prison.

A while later, a rocky island became visible, steam spewing out of the top. "The Boiling Rock... We're almost there.." Yuki muttered as she clenched the railing on the side of the ship tightly as it loomed closer and closer. As they finally reached the island, Yuki breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, things would brighten up in her life. Something was strange, though. There were guards waiting on the shore of the island. Rather peculiar that she would have an escort. Both guards were armed, and in full uniform.

From where she was standing, Yuki could see the lower levels of the prison. Jammed pack with prisoners, all ages, all sizes. For being a firebender, it was scorching hot. She sweated and suddenly got really thirsty, her mouth dry. The guards began walking over to her slowly, and Yuki suddenly felt uncomfortable. She couldn't be arrested... Not after all this. She didn't think and firebent at the guards with her feet. She was still handcuffed and couldn't use her hands, so her legs were her best option. The guards stumbled back, shocked, and Yuki ran straight past them, the warning bell ringing in her ears. She looked forward and saw more guards, on the way. She suddenly became tired, but had to press forward, no matter what. Suddenly, at least 10 guards surrounded her. She looked for a way around this and saw a way down to the lower levels. If she used her firebending to fly down, she could make it. But it was risky, the boiling water was just below.

Yuki let her fire go to her feet and propelled herself into the air, off the railing. The flight and takeoff was rather shaky because she could not control it properly, with the shock. She was still able to angle herself vertically so she could descend to the lower floor, safe from the boiling lake. Although she made it down, she stumbled and tripped as she landed, scraping her knees. For the sole purpose of distracting herself from the pain, Yuki glanced around.. There were not yet any guards. There were only confused prisoners, who were wondering where in the Spirit World she came from. She looked up and saw the guards, making their way down. Yuki could barely stand with her scraped knees, but she had time. Where to now? Once again, she looked around, this time to survey her surroundings. Fortunately, she saw an open door into the prison, which would provide a perfect escape. She limped her way there, pushing past the prisoners, ignoring their comments. She was able to get inside, and saw row after row of cell. The guards had most likely gone after the intruder, her. There was no time to celebrate her lucky escape, for she could hear the guards' footsteps under the metal ground getting closer and louder. Ok, time to think—where to hide, where to go? She looked left and right, all over, there weren't too many... Under the stairs? Perhaps. It seemed well hidden, and it was hidden by the darkness. Yuki heard a guard's voice close by. Panicking, she darted for the stairs and hid, crouching so as not to be visible. In her shelter she could catch her breath, let her heart stop beating out of her chest, let the hot sweat go away... She looked through a crack in the stairs and saw a guard making her way over. Hopefully, she was as unobservant as she appeared and did not see her.

The guard began to walk up the stairs, and Yuki held her breath. Then, the guard stopped, and seemed to sense the presence of the intruder. She turned the corner, finding Yuki..

Yuki tried to run past her, knowing it would be futile. The girl grabbed her and pinned her to the ground, in such a way that Yuki could barely move. "You can run, but you're too weak to fight back." Before Yuki could remark at the comment, a sharp pain hit her head, and she collapsed to the ground, passing out.

Author's note: I'm hoping that was an exciting chapter. Next one will probably be posted soon. Please review!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar, and this is a collaborative work. Enjoy!

Chapter 7

Darkness. A dimly lit cell, the only light source the watery sunlight that slipped between the cold, iron bars of her cell, illuminating the layer of grunge on the floor. The scent of multiple bodies' sweat and bodily odors mingling with the sickly sweet scent of cleaning supplies. Her head was spinning , a dull ache present from where she was slammed into. Yuki tentatively reached a hand up to touch it, feeling a sticky sensation and a lump forming from the sharp blow that had struck her. She winced involuntarily, immediately jolting her hand away when she felt an electric shock of pain shooting through her skull. Glancing down at her hand, she found that it was covered in shockingly crimson liquid, warm and sticky. Blood. The metallic scent filled her nostrils, mixing with the various odors surrounding her. What a mess she had gotten herself into. All because of that one fateful day back in Jang Hui. If she had stayed there, she might be sparring with Ming right now. Or she could be sitting down to a warm meal with her parents. Yuki started to blink back tears, but what was the point? Why not cry? Who would see her weakness? She was alone in the world now; no one would know. Tears began to stream down her face, a sign of her failed struggle. She had wanted to make a difference for the better, and she had accomplished nothing. This was worse than square one.

She wanted to scream so badly, to rattle the iron door that barred her into that horrid, claustrophobic cage. Yuki felt trapped, like a fish entangled in the woven nets she had seen back home, dripping muddy water and flailing their fins helplessly in a futile attempt to escape. Escape, dive to the bottom of the murky water, hoping, praying to never be caught again. The tears continued to stream down her cheeks silently, the lump in her throat huge. She had to resist the urge to flat-out sob out of frustration and disappointment on the grungy, cold floor of her cell. Her vision blurred, swimming with tears as she looked down upon her tattered, dark crimson jumpsuit, marking her for what she truly was. Yuki was a prisoner, a traitorous and disgraceful child to the rest of the nation. On the bright side, she was still alive. At least for now. This was a very high security prison, though. She wouldn't be leaving anytime soon. Other hardened criminals would look down upon her for being a traitor... She shuddered at the thought of being shunned in a place of outcasts and criminals. Where did she belong if not with the fire nation, if not here, if not in Jang Hui? Was she forever destined to be sent from one place to another? Would she be sentenced to death after a biased trial? The number of lives she had caused to be lost was large... Perhaps she deserved this. It was possible that the spirits were punishing her for all her past mistakes. And she had done everything to deserve it. She deserved every last bit of this. The sticky, crimson liquid that coated her hand, the metallic taste that lingered in her mouth, the bars that held her in the cell like a caged bird. The dull, throbbing ache in her skull intensified, and she raised her fist, anger boiling inside of her like bubbling lava. She slammed her fist into the concrete wall, ignoring the stabbing pain in her knuckles as tears continued to slide down her cheeks. She was trapped for voicing her beliefs.

Firebending had always been her solace, but now it was her curse. It symbolized her cruel, bloodthirsty nation that she had betrayed. Though, had she really betrayed it? She had always been a most patriotic individual, and she truly believed this was the best course of action. Perhaps this would benefit her nation over time. If not her action directly, then her thoughts and ideas. Then she would have led her nation to a better place. The steel doors opening in front of her snapped her out of her thoughts. Of course. The prisoners were allowed out of the ring. Must be time. She walked out and was immediately shoved back into her cell by a passing prisoner rushing out. She got back up, and was able to not get knocked down this time She somehow managed to squirm through the crowd, and she was outside. It was hotter outside than inside, maybe because of them being closer to the water. It was loud and crowded, with prisoners socializing as if this was just a normal day for them. She felt tiny in the large amount of people around her. This was unlike any place she had ever been, because she was utterly alone. There was not a single friendly face to comfort her fears. Only once had something like this happened to her, and fate had decreed that an earthbender would rescue her that time. For a moment, she felt a pang of resentment toward the earthbender for causing her to go down this path; she shook the thought aside, because everything had been her choice. Suffering, however, did not seem to be a fair consequence. While contemplating, she had gotten distracted; she suddenly realized two men were standing in front of her. Big, strong, scarred men. "You're that girl who betrayed that commander Zhao, correct?" They asked.

They were a bit too close for comfort, and Yuki wanted to correct him and say "Admiral" but no words came out. They pushed her up against a wall, the man's face inches away. He smelled horrid, and he was unkempt, dirty, and smelled of sweat and old clothes.

"Took a lotta guts to do something like that. Wanna know what we do to traitors here?" He asked.

Yuki swallowed, her mouth was dry. If she wasn't pushed against a wall, she would have backed away. Her golden eyes flashed with anger, and she managed to spit out a string of clear words.

"Let. Me. Go." She scanned them, her eyes narrowed as her heart raced. 'This isn't good.'

On her smallest finger, Yuki summoned a small amount of flame for security and— "Stop! Firebending is against the rules! To the cooler!" yelled a nearby guard.

In what felt like half a second, she was thrown into a cooler and the door slammed in front of her face. She knew it would be cold, but not this cold. Her body quickly became numb, and she wished that she could use her fire breath, but the temperature was far too cold. She slowly began to lose consciousness, though she was attempting to resist. It was too much. How would she recover from this, how sick would she get? These were her last thoughts as the world blackened around her.

The next thing she knew, the cooler door was opening, and she fell to the ground with a thud. Her amber eyes shot open. Although her vision was blurred, she could see the scowling face of a guard standing above her. He nudged her in the side with his pointy boot. "Get up," he snapped. His glare was so intense that his eyebrows, slanted downward, were crinkled and almost tangled together. Yuki stood up, shivering in her thin, orange jumpsuit. How long had she been in there? Was it minutes? Hours? Yuki didn't have any concept of time whatsoever. She could only assume.

Author's Note: Kind of a slow chapter, but the next one will be more interesting. Please review so that I can know how to write the next chapters. Any suggestions are welcome.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I still don't own Avatar and this is a collaborative work with Cherry and the person who chooses to remain anonymous. Enjoy.

Would this feeling of helplessness never leave her? There was so much time to think here. And she despised every moment of it. Why was her mind forcing her to relive ever harmful decision she had ever made? Every mission she had ever gone on for Zhao? The thought of him sickened her. She had done it because... Why had she done it? Had it been to feel special, or had she actually believed in the cause? Would she ever truly know?

Yuki crossed her thin arms over her chest, rubbing the upper part of her arms with her palms. She needed warmth. The guard nudged her again, still scowling. "Get back to your cell. I'll lead you back." His tone wasn't the least bit friendly, but rather informative and harsh. Yuki managed a nod, and *the guard began leading her back to her cell. Back in her cell, Yuki could not stop thinking about what would become of her. This prison was a place where people would rot. Would she be among these hardened criminals for the rest of her life? Or would she eventually receive the death penalty? Then again, did she really want to know?

She spent much of her time at the prison in this way. The days stretched into weeks, which perhaps stretched into months. Her existence was meaningless; she had no sense of time. One day of her imprisonment finally started to break her lonely, monotonous life.

Yuki laid down on her rock-hard ledge that served as a bed, staring up at the roof of the cell that held her captive, studying a thin, spider-like webbed crack that ran along the center of the ceiling. The sharp, jangling, metallic sound of keys echoed from down the dimly-lit hallway. Footsteps drew nearer, heavy, clomping ones, and soft, light ones alongside of the thudding of guards boots. Sitting bolt upright, Yuki peered out from behind the bars of her cell, squinting her amber eyes as a girl with short, choppy brown hair was shoved roughly into the vacant cell next to her own, the barred doors slamming shut with a boom.

The girl was very young, compared to the other prisoners. Now it was impossible to get a good look at her, but she had not looked like a citizen of the fire Nation. She looked rather...Earth Kingdom. Interesting. Perhaps she was a war prisoner. Yuki sighed, thinking that here was another person who would hate her. The others hated her for her treachery, and this young girl would hate her for having ever been part of the fire nation.

The clanging sound of a gong echoed through the halls, jolting Yuki from her thoughts. Her cell door slid open, and she stepped out. "Time to clean!" One of the helmeted guards yelled at the prisoners stepping out of their cells.

Yuki stepped out, seeing the girl beside of her. Her face was clear of any sadness or visible anger, but her eyes were seething with rage. "I suggest you work together to get it spick-and-span!" The guard yelled, his voice echoing throughout the chambers. "The Warden doesn't want a single speck of dust!" This part seemed to be knew. Perhaps they finally wanted to increase the rate at which prisoners worked. Yuki glanced away from the girl's bluish eyes. 'She's from the Earth Kingdom... There's no way she would work with a person from the Fire Nation... And I can't say I blame her, either.'

After briefly glancing at all the other prisoners she had seen before, Yuki decided that working with the Earth Kingdom girl would be her best bet. The other prisoners had already split themselves into smaller groups and were beginning to clean. Taking a deep breath, she walked towards the Earth Kingdom girl.

"So... May I work with you?" Yuki asked. In return the Earth Kingdom girl glared. "Look," began Yuki," I would like to offer my deepest condolences for whatever my nation has done to you. I don't even consider it mine anymore. Never have I despised anything more. I'm a traitor, anyway. Please?"

The Earth Kingdom girl sighed, rolling her emerald green eyes. "Fine... Let's just get this over with, then.." Yuki exhales softly. 'Of course she doesn't believe me. Who would ever trust the Fire Nation, anyway?' Yuki grabbed a mop and a bucket of water that were leaning against the wall and nodded, struggling to keep her face devoid of the emotions bubbling up inside of her like boiling water in a teapot.

After cleaning in silence for what seemed like ages, Yuki attempted to start a conversation. "You know, I never got your name..." She began.

"Look," said the girl," I'm working with you because I doubt anyone else would work with me. Seems like I'm doing you a favor too. Don't push your luck."

Astonished at her hostility, Yuki resumed cleaning in silence. Her nation must really be hated wherever this girl came from. What had they done to her?

Yuki watched in silence as the Earth Kingdom girl swept, her forehead creased as little bits of dirt swirled together to make a pile. 'Did they burn her village..?' Visions of charred flesh, scattered human remains amongst smoldering ashes flashed through her mind. 'Are you sure you're on the right side?' The earthbender peered at her with his intense, emerald-green eyes. The memories spiraled throughout her head, voices and horrific images. The man being burned alive. The constant glares and looks of panic directed at her. Yuki felt as though she were being suffocated, her lungs failing as though they were being filled with thick smoke. Yuki shook her head, trying to clear her mind once more. 'Don't...'

Placing her hands on her cheeks, Yuki began hyperventilating. So many bad memories... Flooding back to her... All at once. "Hey," said the girl "are you alright? What's wrong?" Gently placing her hand on Yuki's shoulder the Earth Kingdom girl quietly spoke.

"It'll be alright. I hate the Fire Nation more than I knew it was every possible to hate, but it seems like we've both been through a lot. We should really get working before the guards notice. Come on.."

Yuki nodded solemnly and stood up, continuing the tedious work. "Thank you.." She replied quietly in turn, dipping the raggedy mop into the metal pail of murky water, watching the dirt inside spin slightly. How did it come to this? Yuki grabbed the mop's wooden handle and placed it on the floor, a squelchy noise emanating from where she had placed it. She trailed the mop along the floor, watching the water left behind evaporate almost immediately.

For a while, they cleaned in silence. Then, surprising Yuki, the Earth Kingdom girl spoke. "My name is Suki. The Fire Nation burned down my village. I will never forgive them for that." Silence. What could Yuki possibly say to that? Slowly, she spoke," I am truly sorry for the actions of the nation I used to call my own." Another span of silence.

"I believe your apology is sincere," said Suki, breaking the silence, "although I will never forgive your nation, I will not hold this against you." With a slight smile on her face, Yuki began cleaning again. It seemed she had made a friend.

A friend... Maybe she'd be alright after all. The guards traipsed past them, holding plates. 'Dinner time,' thought Yuki, letting out a faint sigh as she scanned the dish that had been given to her. Barely warm, small portions. Steamed rice and chunks of an unidentifiable meat sat upon it. Typical prison food. Yuki grabbed her chopsticks, picking at her food.

Slowly, she began eating. She had to eat, and hope as she always had that she would one day leave this prison... Until then, she had a friend. Suki was an interesting young girl, to say the least. Perhaps Yuki would learn more about her with time. Having gotten lost in thought, Yuki realized that her bowl was empty, and she was still hungry. She sighed. This was what life in the Boiling Rock would still be like, even with a friend.

Author's note: So finally an update. I guess things kind of picked up in this chapter. There will probably be only a few more. Please review!


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Author's note: An update! Yes, it's been a while. This chapter basically wraps up the major story arc, but there will be sort of a epilogue. Please read and review, and if there are any loose ends you would like to be tied up in the epilogue, feel free to say that in the review! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I still don't own Avatar. Thanks to Cherry for helping me right this. Also, I now have a Beta Reader, MyaMind, so thanks to her as well.

'She must be using me,' Yuki thought, 'But what would she gain by using me? I'm just a prisoner like her. Or perhaps she thinks I'm a spy.' Yuki exhaled, her warm amber eyes scanning her darkened cell. 'At first she was reluctant... Then she forgave me...' Her thoughts were scattered, almost like loose pieces of paper caught in a breeze. 'Perhaps it's paranoia.. Maybe it isn't.. But I can't afford to think that way...' The sound of guards walking down the corridor jolted her from her thoughts. "Here?" One asked gruffly. "Why?" Another voice replied, cracking slightly as the other did so.

"Oh, uh, you know! I wanted to show the newer prisoners what we're made of!"

She heard another scoff. "Alright." Keys jangled, followed by the sound of Suki's cell door swinging open. The footsteps of the guards faded away.

Leaning against the cell wall, Yuki could hear quiet voices muttering, but she was only able to make out bits.

…"You mean you don't recognize me?"

"You guards all look the same to me."

"Then maybe you'll recognize this."

Realizing that she should not be eavesdropping on a new friend, Yuki stopped leaning against the wall and returned closer to the center of her cell. At the sound of metal hitting flesh, however, she could not resist listening again. She resumed listening to the conversation just in time to hear the mystery guard's name—Sokka. That name… it had to be a water tribe name, which meant he wasn't actually a guard. Could he be here to help Suki escape? For one brief moment, Yuki felt hopeful, but then she thought 'Why would she take me with her if she managed to escape? She barely knows me, and she could ruin her own escape by telling me what her plans are.' There was nothing for her to do but wait. The next day, Yuki looked for Suki while she and the other prisoners were mopping the floors, hoping for an explanation of what had happened, but she instead witnessed an odd scene. It appeared that a teenager with a scar had bumped into one of the other prisoners, Chit Sang. She watched as the guards hauled scar-face to the cooler for firebending. A skirmish over a minor mistake? That was unusual, even for the prisoners of the Boiling Rock. It seemed contrived…

Yuki later learned she was right. The cooler had been used for an escape, which was ultimately unsuccessful. There was also a rumor that one of the guards was an impostor… could it be Sokka? She had to know, yet there was no way she could speak to Suki. Unfortunately, most of her news came from listening to the guards gossip to one another while they were supervising the prisoners, or even more unreliable, from the prisoners themselves. During a meal, she had heard of a confrontation in which Chit Sang had named one of the guards as an impostor. The guards who spoke of it noticed her listening and immediately stopped their conversation, so she did not find out what became of him. Soon after the failed escape, she heard that the Fire Nation Princess, Azula, was to be coming to the prison. Suddenly, Yuki realized that the scarred teenager had to be none other than the banished Prince Zuko! Azula must have been there to summon him to the fire lord. Perhaps he had provided assistance in the escape plan, although she had not heard a single whisper about his involvement. Using the cooler would have been perfect; she should have noticed earlier that it would serve as a perfect protection against the heat of the boiling lake. How had she failed to realize that Chit Sang could not have planned that himself? Furious with her own slowness, Yuki pounded her fist against the wall. She had lost her only chance of an escape.

Her prison door slid open, revealing an open pathway. Yuki's golden eyes widened. Hadn't the Warden issued a lockdown? She had heard him barking orders earlier, but now he was letting them go? 'This isn't right...' Yuki thought, scanning her surroundings.

Cautiously, she looked over at the cell next to her. It appeared that Suki had already gone. For a moment she was slightly offended, but there had to be an explanation for Suki's rapid departure.

Yuki sprinted out to the prison yard, desperate to see what was happening. When she stepped outside, she gasped to see that she was in the middle of a riot. Looking up, she saw Suki running through the crowd, directly toward the warden. Yuki ran to get a better view only to be knocked down by prisoners engaged in conflict. Finally, she managed to force her way through the crowd, only to be more astounded. Prince Zuko, Suki, and a boy who must have been Sokka were on top of the gondola, fighting the Princess Azula and one of her friends, who was dressed in pink rather than the traditional red. Yuki watched in awe; she had never seen firebending as powerful as Azula's, or even Zuko's, although he was supposedly a failure. Why were the guards letting the gondola continue? She was glad her friend was escaping, but it made no sense. They should have cut the line. As if he could hear her thoughts, Yuki heard the warden yell "Cut the line!" from inside the gondola, where he must have been held captive. After that, Yuki knew very little of what had happened. The crowd of prisoners forced her back, but she knew that the escape attempt had been successful. And she also knew that there would never again be an escape from the Boiling Rock. Despite being in the dark about most of the events that occurred that day, one astounding piece of news did reach Yuki. Azula's closest two friends, Mai and Ty lee, had both betrayed her. Even more surprising, Mai was being held prisoner in the Boiling Rock. They must have been the reason that the escape was successful. Yuki wished she had courage like that. All she had done was spoken up once, and look where it had gotten her. After that, Yuki mainly kept to herself. She did, however, manage to speak to Mai once or twice. On the first occasion, she asked why Mai had chosen to betray her closest friend. "I was saving the jerk who dumped me," she had responded, leaving Yuki even more confused.

News from the outside world continued to leak in, especially about the war. The guards had grown lax ever since the escape; they now spoke freely about the war in front of prisoners. To them, it didn't matter what the prisoners knew, since they could do nothing about it. However, in Yuki's eyes, news was everything. Her future depended on her nation's defeat. She almost laughed, remembering that not so long ago, she was a passionate patriot. Now, she was nothing more than a common criminal, a traitor. Much of the news was old, since messenger hawks with fresh news rarely came to the boiling rock. Apparently, Zhao had died in an attempt to kill the moon spirit. 'Serves him right,' Yuki thought. Prince Zuko was teaching the Avatar firebending, and Sozin's comet would soon come again. Most of the occupants of the prison were apathetic toward the war, while others were passionate patriots and wanted the Fire Lord to take over the remaining nations using the power of the comet. Yuki said nothing, but she hoped that the Avatar would prevail, and that Prince Zuko would become the Fire Lord. Perhaps, since he had once been called a traitor himself, he would be sympathetic toward people in prison. There was even the possibility that she would have a fair trial. Finally, word came that the war had ended. As Yuki had hoped, Prince Zuko was the new Fire Lord, and he was going to see to it that criminals were given fair trials. She anxiously waited for a summons.


End file.
